Having 8 or more alcoholic drinks per week may damage areas of the brain linked to memory and thinking.
Heavy drinkers may face an increased risk of brain lesions associated with memory and thinking problems.
In a new study, people who consumed 8 or more alcoholic beverages per week had higher odds of hyaline arteriolosclerosis, a condition that causes small blood vessels to harden and thicken.
This makes it more difficult for blood to flow and can damage the brain over time.
Researchers reviewed brain autopsies of nearly 18-hundred people who died at an average age of 75. They looked for signs of brain injuries, including tau tangles and hyaline arteriolosclerosis. They also interviewed family members about the participants’ drinking habits.
The results showed heavy drinkers had 133% higher odds of vascular brain lesions compared to those who never drank. Former heavy drinkers had 89% higher odds, and moderate drinkers had 60% higher odds.
Heavy drinkers also had an increased risk of developing tau tangles, a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease.
One author says, “Our research shows that heavy alcohol consumption is damaging to the brain, which can lead to memory and thinking problems.”
He says increasing public awareness and preventive measures to reduce heavy drinking are crucial.
Source: Neurology
Author Affiliations: University of São Paulo Medical School, University of California San Francisco
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